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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. branch — a division
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. pound — a weight
  7. cap — of ice
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. roll — a cake
  10. suit — to fit
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. cap — a lid
  17. suit — in cards
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. cap — a hat
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. chest — a box
  24. bay — a part of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com